If I read a full paragraph that doesn't include "due to the fact that", what does it mean?- A) My students are becoming better writers
- B) My students are buying papers from better writers
- C) I imagined the whole thing due to the fact that I have brain damage from reading so many of these papers.
The point being is that that is an annoying phrase. The reason I say this is because of the fact that I'm hoping you can relate.
-WotRedPen
And the fact that I am reading this post reflects the fact that I'm pretty tired of reading student prose (and trying to explain the finer points of identifying and citing scholarly sources) myself.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Love the new Wombat avatar, but what's that yellow thing on hir flank? It looks cheerful enough, but I'm wondering whether I should get a pair of tweezers and some alcohol.
I think there's also a horse and a duckling in the picture.
DeleteI like it because it's a close approximation to the real thing. I've lectured with dry erase residue on my face, chalk from the previous class across my chest, and GHS labels stuck on my pants.
DeleteWhen we still had chalkboards, I probably taught more often than not with a white line across the broadest part of my rear end, because that's about where the chalk tray hit. Now I just spill my tea/breakfast down my front. I also need to remember to put static guard in my bag/office desk, since skirt-plastered-to-legs is not a good look for me.
DeleteAnd yes there are, indeed, a horse and a duckling. I'd sort of noticed them there, but hadn't looked closely enough to identify them. How cute, and how appropriate!
DeleteThat makes me think that the smiley yellow thing might be a (fab) sun, so I won't go after it with the tweezers.
P.S. I just realized I wrote "the fact that" in a comment on another thread. Despite having a beloved 8th-grade teacher who introduced me to Strunk and White, that phrase still crops up in my writing more than it probably should.
Might it mean that your students are becoming slightly less miserable writers? Hope does spring eternal.
ReplyDeleteI like to be optimistic. I have some students and soldiers whose pieces I have to edit. I circle the offending phrase and write, "Fluff!" Or, "Not necessary!" because using the word fluff elicits a few chuckles. A few of them are getting better.
ReplyDeleteMy bete noir is "based off of". Makes me berserk.
ReplyDeleteMy husband says "based off of" and I close my eyes and silently mouth "based on" every time. If we ever get divorced, it's going to be over this.
ReplyDeleteIf you're not getting "do to the fact that," you're ahead of the game.
ReplyDelete